


Brownies and PB&J Sandwiches

by SiriGirl



Series: Valentine's Day 2018 one-shots [1]
Category: Mannix
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Multi, Valentine's Day, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 13:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13571088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiriGirl/pseuds/SiriGirl
Summary: Joe, Peggy and Adam come home late on Valentine's Day to a surprise Toby left for them.





	Brownies and PB&J Sandwiches

**Author's Note:**

> I have Decades TV to thank for this-they made Mannix their weekend binge and got me wanting to write about one of my favorite little families.

"Are you sure you have the right key?" Adam Tobias peered over Peggy Fair's shoulder as she attempted to unlock the door.

She sighed dramatically. "Yes, Adam, I'm sure. I just need to-" she stopped as the door handle finally turned. "There. It just needed a minute."

"Let's just go in the house, I'm exhausted." Joe Mannix hiked the shopping bag he was carrying up a little farther.

"I'll second that." Peggy held the door for him.

"Me three." Adam followed Joe through the door, Peggy bringing up the rear.

Joe headed for the kitchen, smiling at the couch where their seventeen-year-old next door neighbor/babysitter was asleep, covered with her sweater. "Poor Maxie, I bet she had a Valentine's date."

"She's a doll to stay with Toby." Peggy sat down on the couch and gently shook the girl's shoulders. "Maxie. Wake up, sweetie."

Maxie jolted awake, sitting straight up. She blinked to focus her eyes. "Mrs. Fair. I didn't mean to fall-"

"It's alright." Peggy cut her off, gently patting her arm. "Go on home. I bet your parents are waiting up."

"Not likely, they hit the sack early." Maxie got to her feet and smiled at Adam. "Mr. Tobias."

"Hi, Maxie." Adam had removed his jacket and was unknotting his tie. "Was he good?"

"Perfect. He left a surprise for you in the kitchen. He wrote it all out in notes. Spent most of the evening on it." Maxie put her sweater around her shoulders and went to the table by the door for her purse.

"I think Mr. Mannix has something for you." Adam indicated the kitchen doorway with his head, where Joe was counting out Maxie's pay. He held it up. "And a bonus, because it's a holiday, and because we were late again."

"Oh, thank you." Maxie crossed the room and took her pay from Joe. "Goodnight Mr. Mannix. Mr. Tobias, Mrs. Fair."

"Goodnight, Maxie." Joe took the groceries over to the fridge.

"Night," Adam called over his shoulder as he followed his husband to the kitchen.

"Goodnight, honey." Peggy gave Maxie a quick hug. "Tell your parents we said hi-oh, and take Albert out for something nice, since you had to miss Valentine's Day."

"Thanks, Mrs. F, I will." Maxie smiled as she headed out the door.

Peggy clicked the lock behind the teenager and leaned heavily against the wood as she took off her shoes, tossing them in the direction of the mat. "Oh, I am tired."

"It's almost midnight." Joe came around the corner with jacket in hand, undoing his tie. "We'd better check on the kid."

"In a minute, Maxie said he left a surprise for us." Adam was pulling his shirt out of his pants as he clicked the kitchen light switch. "Aww," he called out. "This is cute."

"Oh?" Peggy put an arm around Joe and he returned the favor as they strolled back to the kitchen to join their husband.

Adam was holding up a lopsided red heart, cut out of construction paper. On it was written "hapy" in black marker. There was another heart that said "valentyns" and another that said "day". "luv, Toby" was scrawled on an uncut piece of pink construction paper.

"He's too sweet." Joe looked at the three plates above all the papers, each with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into the shape of a heart and two apple slices arranged to form more hearts on them.

"This is one of the most wonderful things he's ever done." Peggy ran her fingers fondly over the paper.

"It is." Joe laughed, pointing at the island. "Look, he even made place cards."

"Oh, he did." Adam wriggled his head between Peggy and Joe's shoulders. "Let's see...Daddy 1, Daddy 2 and Mama."

"He's the best." Peggy took a seat on one of the stools as she pulled off her hose.

"Yeah, we got a great kid." Adam pulled a tray out of the cupboard next to the fridge. "What say we take this gift upstairs and have it in bed? I'm bushed."

"Sounds like a plan." Peggy got up to open the cabinet and took out three glasses. "Joe, will you get the milk, please?"

"Sure thing." Joe opened the refrigerator and smiled at what he saw there. Three glasses of milk sat on the top shelf. Each had a paper taped to it, with a heart drawn on it and they were marked the same as the place cards. "Uh, Peggy. We won't be needing those glasses. His highness thought of everything." He quickly shelved the cold groceries from the bag.

Peggy smiled as she returned the glasses to the cabinet, then glanced at the next one as she shut the door. There was another note taped to it that said "opin up". Obeying the instructions, she opened the cupboard and took out a tupperware container. "What have we here-oh geez. Heart-shaped brownies."

"Load them up." Adam held out the tray. "Let's go check on the master of surprises. Hopefully he's fast asleep."

"If he wasn't, he would've heard us come in and run down the stairs as fast as he could." Joe stepped aside to allow Adam and the tray through the doorway, then fell in step behind him. Peggy brought up the rear as they entered the dining/living room. Noticing something on the table, Peggy leaned down. "Joe, get the light."

Joe obediently turned on the lamp and approached the table. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing, it just looks like we have a present." Peggy lifted an envelope addressed in the familiar handwriting of their son to "Mama, Daddy 1, and Daddy 2".

Adam laughed. "He refuses to stop calling us that."

"At least he doesn't call you Thing 1 and Thing 2 anymore," Peggy reminded him as she opened the envelope.

Joe giggled. "Only when we're out and about and he can't call us Daddy. Boy do we get some weird looks."

Peggy removed and paper from the envelope and flipped it over. She gasped. "Aww."

On the paper was a family portrait, drawn by Toby. It was apparently set in the backyard, in front of the swingset. He had drawn all three of his parents with their arms around each other, and him in front of his mama with his arms around her waist.

"I love it." Joe smiled at the paper. "His drawing is improving."

"It sure is." Adam's proud grin could be heard in his voice.

"I'll hang it on the refrigerator in the morning." Peggy laid the picture down. "Let's get to bed."

"Agreed." Joe gallantly stuck out his arm for Adam, still carrying the tray. "Gentlemen first."

"Thank you, sir." Adam headed for the stairs.

Peggy smiled at Joe's still-outstretched arm. "You said gentlemen first. Go ahead."

"You got me there." He fell in step behind Adam and she followed as they traipsed up the stairs. Adam set the tray on the table in the hall as they headed for Toby's room. Joe carefully eased the door open and the three of them stepped inside.

Toby was asleep on his back on the bottom bunk, his legs hanging over the side. His arms were wrapped around his stuffed dinosaur, and he was nowhere near his covers. An empty glass with milk residue and a plate with brownie crumbs were on his nightstand.

"His bottom sheet's coming off," Peggy observed, patting Toby's damp forehead.

"Here." Adam lifted Toby carefully into his arms and cradled the boy against his chest, trying not to wake him. He stirred a little, then settled his face against the side of Adam's neck. Peggy and Joe quickly retucked his sheets, and Adam laid him back on the bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, then leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, little man," he whispered, pulling back to give the others a turn.

Peggy smoothed Toby's hair and kissed two fingers of her right hand, pressing them to Toby's temple. "Sleep tight, sweetheart." She moved back to put an arm around Adam as Joe leaned down, kissing Toby's cheek. "Sweet dreams, love."

He straightened and stepped back to Adam's other side, putting an arm around his shoulders. "He looks so peaceful."

"Let's make sure he stays that way." Peggy indicated the door with her head and the three of them filed out, walking sideways so they wouldn't have to let go of each other.

Adam reluctantly pulled away from his spouses and went to the table to fetch the dinner tray, while Peggy and Joe crossed the hall to their room.

They entered, Adam set down the tray, Joe closed the door, and the three of them began shedding their clothes. Peggy ended up in the doorway to the bathroom, catching garments the boys tossed in her direction and depositing them into the hamper.

"I have to speak to a class at the academy at six tomorrow." Adam sighed as he took his and Joe's pajama sets and Peggy's nightgown from the rack and distributed them. "What about you two?"

"Don't forget about Toby's father thing at school," Peggy reminded.

"Oh, yeah." Joe turned to Adam as he buttoned his shirt. "Will you be able to make it?"

"I don't see why not." Adam pulled up his pants. "It's at eight, right?"

"Eight thirty." Peggy buttoned the top button on her nightgown and pulled down the duvet cover on the bed.

"I'll take Toby to school then." Joe crawled over the bottom of the bed to take his spot in the middle. Peggy climbed in on her side and Adam crawled onto his. They worked together to pull the covers up to their waists and Adam set the dinner tray on Joe's knees. "Sorry, but you wanted to sleep in the middle."

"I know, I know." Joe lifted his glass. "Shall we toast? Since it's Valentine's Day and all?"

"Why not." Peggy took her glass and handed Adam his. "What are we toasting?"

"Well, Toby, for starters." Adam grinned. "For making sure we don't starve. And because we somehow got the world's greatest kid."

"To Toby," they all chorused, clinking their glass together.

"And now," Joe smiled first at Adam, then Peggy, "To us."

"To us." Peggy smiled fondly at her boys.

"To us," Adam agreed, leaning over. The three of them clinked their glasses together, then leaned in for the best Valentine's gift of all-a kiss from the ones they loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read!


End file.
